Here we go again - the daily ritual of cleaning all the junk mail out of our inboxes, 'lest we may miss an important message or offer that happens to be legitimate. If you've been a savvy email user for any length of time, you've most certainly been the victim of more than a handful of unscrupulous internet email marketing SPAM artists. These people will stop at nothing to trick you into spending a buck or two (or two hundred) on their latest bogus deal, usually promising you an instant utopia that never really ever exists.
Just like a dishonest used car salesman, lying politician or a crooked cop, these swindlers give all the good and decent email marketing businesses out there a big black eye that rarely heals completely. Think about it, once somebody gets scammed, lied to, or taken advantage of, the entire email marketing industry gets stereotyped, and comes under severe scrutiny by this person because of one bad apple. And you know what's worse than finding a worm in the apple you're eating? Finding half a worm in the apple you're eating!
According to a report released by the Federal Trade Commission there are certain types of email marketing businesses that are notoriously guilty of SPAM violations. Here's the short list:
1. Chain Letters - These require you to send money to the name at the top of the list, then add your name to the bottom. The promise is that once your name reaches the top, you get tons 'o money ... yeah, right. Totally illegal.
2. Work-at-home Schemes - These usually require you to spend your money up front to buy tools and materials, and you rarely if ever get as much money as originally promised.
3. Weight Loss Programs - Beware of a plan where you take a pill and the weight just falls off by itself. If an email marketing offer tells you no exercise and no diet adjustment are necessary, don't believe it.
4. Credit Repair - If an email marketing plan promises to remove accurate negative info from your credit report, don't buy into it. That's not legal.
If you are an honest, legitimate email marketing professional involved in one of these or other often misrepresented businesses, I feel your pain. Here at Overcome Everything, Inc., we often field calls and emails from customers and prospects that are highly critical, skeptical, and ready for a fight as soon as we say good morning, just because some other email marketing company has mistreated them in the past.
So how can someone such as yourself avoid being tagged as an evil internet spammer? The quick answer is to become known as a company that gives super service to all of it's customers and prospects. Develop a personal relationship with each one by using an effective email marketing strategy. Never tell a lie or misrepresent what you are willing to do customer service-wise, but rather go above and beyond what would be considered as fair treatment.
Want more information on how to develop a rock-solid strategy for reputation building in your business? Hit the link below for access to a free video that reveals a proven email marketing system, including tips, tutorials, what to avoid while building a profitable internet marketing presence, and how to keep your good reputation intact.
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